Dying To Live

by Sam Carter

  He rounded the corner and was glad to see Alex standing near the nurse’s station. As he thought about it, he realized there was no way Alex wouldn’t be there. How would he ensure that the patients continued to suffer and die if he took off? He needed to be close by. He needed to have that control.

  Harlan saw Alex was talking to Barry. Perfect. After he proved Alex was the voice he could enlist Barry’s help. Barry would do anything to make sure Alex was out of the way, and the kids could get their care.

  Harlan stood around the corner, just out of Alex’s eyesight but still where he could see his every move. He wondered how strange it had to look for a passerby to see a doctor hunched, peering around a corner. It wasn’t going to stop him, but he could imagine they would think he was losing his mind.

  He opened the loaner and dialed the number Joe had given him. Of all the tense moments Harlan had been through the last few days, waiting for the call to start ringing and connect with Alex’s phone was toward the top. Not to sound overly dramatic, but everything that had happened came down to this moment. All the pain and suffering would almost be over. Soon he would move forward, get rid of this heartless idiot masquerading as a doctor and take care of his patients. This was going to be over soon.

  Finally, Harlan’s phone started to ring. His stomach flipped a little with the anticipation of it all. He peeked a little harder in Alex’s direction, not wanting to miss a movement.

  But, nothing happened. No phone rang. Alex didn’t move at all. He just kept talking to those around him. What if Alex hadn’t even brought the phone with him to the floor? What if Harlan was just completely wrong? Everything pointed toward Alex. Every single thing.

  Harlan began to hang up his phone, but then a phone started ringing near the nurse’s station. He looked at Alex, waiting for him to reach into his pocket and pull out a phone. But he didn’t.

  Barry did.

  Chapter 56

  Luke woke up surrounded by darkness. He tried to look around for signs of where he could be, but he couldn’t see a thing. Where was he, and how had he gotten there?

  He felt something brush up against his arm. And then his legs. Wherever he was, he wasn’t alone. He thrashed his arms around, trying to make contact and maybe kill it, but he hit nothing. Just air.

  A loud hiss came from between his legs as it brushed up against him again. Was that a snake? Was he in a room filled with snakes?

  “Don’t be such a pansy, Luke,” his dad’s voice boomed out next to him. “It’s just a snake. One of those coastal taipans you’re obsessed with.”

  “I hate those things. Why are you always chasing after them, honey? They could kill you.” Now his mom chimed in, too. How were they here again?

  “Come on, Luke. Pick it up. Show me how much of a man you are.”

  “Fine. Then will you stop treating me like an idiot? Will you play catch with me again?”

  “Of course I will. Pick up the snake, and you’ll have your dad back.” Luke could tell by this tone that his dad was smiling. Maybe this would finally be the turning point in their relationship.

  Luke felt the snake brush up against his legs again. He reached down as quickly as he could to grab it before it got away, but he missed.

  “You always had horrible reflexes. Slow as anything I’ve ever seen.” His dad was laughing now. And not the laugh of a dad playing with his son, but the laugh of one who enjoyed watching him fail.

  “Shut up, Dad. Shut up. I’ll get it. I’ll get it!” Luke swung his arms around like a crazy man just trying to make contact with something. Anything. The more he tried, the harder his dad laughed. The harder he laughed, the angrier and wilder everything Luke did became.

  “Stop it, honey. You don’t have to prove anything. You’re a man in my eyes.” This only made Luke want to catch this stupid snake more. It only made him want to prove his parents wrong again.

  “He can’t catch it. He can’t catch anything. He couldn’t catch a cold if you sneezed right in his face. Worthless. He’s worthless.”

  “I’m not worthless. You are. You’re nothing but a washed-up nothing. I’m everything you couldn’t be. I made it when you failed. I’m the man and you’re just a stupid child who’s never done anything.”

  Luke punched his father as hard as he could. If he hadn’t killed him before, he would kill him now. Only he didn’t hit his dad. He connected with a concrete wall with all his power—like one of those crash test cars that would explode the second it made contact.

  Luke felt blinding pain surge through his whole body as he collapsed to the ground. He couldn’t show this hurt. He couldn’t let his dad see he couldn’t take it.

  Only there was no laughter coming from the room like he expected. Or cries coming from his mom either. Just as quickly as they had come, they were gone, and he was alone. Like always.

  Luke looked down at his hand, and it was now more like the claw of an eagle than anything a human would have. He reached down and screamed as he popped each finger back into place. It was still disfigured, but it would be of some use to him. At least to get him out of there.

  His eyes had finally adjusted a bit to the dark and now he realized he was in a small empty closet. He was all alone. There wasn’t room for a snake or two more people at all. Luke was losing it.

  As the room was becoming clearer, so was Luke’s memory. That voice person put him in here after he killed Josie. He thought he could somehow trap Luke Masterson. What a fool.

  As he turned around, Luke found the door. He turned the handle. Nothing. He tried again, harder and with more violence, but nothing happened. He was locked in. Whoever that man was, he wasn’t going to make it easy for Luke to get out, but he had to be stupid to think Luke couldn’t figure out how.

  He looked around the closet for something he could use. The room seemed spotless, but people always made mistakes. They always forgot some detail.

  In the corner of the closet something shiny caught his eye. This could be it. He reached down to pick it up and noticed it was attached to a piece of paper. A note. His nemesis had left Luke a note.

  “Now that you’ve had time to think, isn’t it time to stop playing this game and come back to our team, Luke?” He turned the paper over and there was a key. The key to the door. The key to Luke’s freedom. The key to the voice’s demise.

  Chapter 57

  As a kid, the fictional character that gave Harlan the most nightmares was Harvey Dent, or as he was better known, Two-Face, someone who could change who he was and what he would do at the drop of a hat. In the case of this particular villain, it was the flip of a coin. Whenever Two-Face showed up in one of the Batman comics Harlan used to read, he would dread the coin flip. Dread the fact that if it landed on the wrong side, people would suffer and die.

  He would even dread knowing that if it landed on the right side, Two-Face would do something great and right some wrongs. That anyone could do this - change who he was so quickly -was harder for Harlan to swallow than someone like the Joker. To him, Two-Face was evil in its most real form.

  And now he stood staring at a real-life Two-Face, and he couldn’t believe who it was. The one person Harlan had truly believed was on his side couldn’t have been further from it.

  Harlan blinked, hoping he was wrong. But he wasn’t. It was Barry staring at his phone. It was Barry who, after a moment of confusion, pretended like nothing happened and nonchalantly put the phone back in his pocket. Barry was the voice.

  Realizing he was still staring, Harlan tried to walk away. But he couldn’t. He was, once again, frozen to the ground in fear. Everything just got more complicated. Every idea he had to overcome the obstacles vanished, and he was lost. And now, so were his patients.

  After his body decided moving was something it had permission to do, Harlan began to walk toward his office. He wanted to get away from there as fast as possible. But do what exactly? Hide? Bang his head against the wall? What good would he be to his patients if he ran? They needed h
im close by. Especially with Barry so close. How could it be Barry?

  Harlan took out the loaner and sent Cole a quick text. “Don’t come inside until I tell you to.” He wasn’t sure why, but Harlan felt the need to keep them away from this until he understood more. Maybe it was to keep Cole and Clara safe. What if Barry saw Cole at the hospital? Why hadn’t Harlan thought of this before?

  Knowing that walking past Barry and Alex would cause suspicion—his paranoia was way out of control at this point—Harlan walked right up to them, trying hard to steady his voice.

  “Alex. Barry. How are we doing today?” Very smooth. Casual. Calm. No sign of the fact that he was doing everything in his power not to pee his pants.

  “All right, Harlan. Alex has just been updating me on what’s been going on here. Sad stuff.”

  “We would be lost without Dr. James though. He has done amazing work.” This statement had the exact effect Harlan hoped it would. Alex looked happy, like a kid who had received a gold star from his teacher in front of the whole school.

  “Is that right? It’s good to hear you two working together. It’s what the patients need.”

  “It’s more like I’m following Dr. James’ lead on this one. He’s the reason I believe these kids will live.” Harlan saw Alex’s chest puff out, and his smile grow. Harlan knew how Barry was getting Alex to do his bidding. It wasn’t through threats. It was pride. Alex’s need to get credit and be the man of the hour. Now Harlan needed to get Alex alone. They needed to talk and straighten this out.

  “I’m about to make some rounds. Dr. James, will you join me? I’ll need your expertise.”

  “Of course. However I can be of assistance to you and the patients.” Harlan wanted to throw up, but at least this was working. The ego is such a frail thing.

  “Seeing that you two have this handled, I’m headed back to my office. Need to keep this out of the press. Twelve kids dying at our hospital from the same thing would not look good. Keep me up-to-date.”

  Harlan knew he was seeing Barry differently now, but something about what he just said rubbed him the wrong way. He didn’t know what or why, but it did. Barry was planning something.

  “Where would you like to start, Harlan? Where can I help you the most?”

  “The break room.” Alex gave him a disgusted look. “Not like that. What is wrong with you?”

  “I knew your flattering was too good to be true.” Alex dug his heels in and wouldn’t budge.

  Harlan got close, and as he flashed the cell phone from Barry, whispered, “I know what you’re doing. I know you’re involved. I will expose you and not lose a second of sleep.” He didn’t know for certain if this was true, he had been wrong a lot lately, but he didn’t have time to dance around the subject either.

  Before Harlan knew it, they were both in the break room. Door locked. Blinds down. Alex didn’t want there to be any chance someone could walk in. Harlan had obviously slammed a very sensitive nerve.

  “You don’t understand.” Harlan had heard that a lot lately from people. As if that excuse would get anyone off the hook. They seemed to believe they didn’t have the ability to choose for themselves.

  “I don’t understand what exactly? Why don’t you try me?”

  “You don’t know what it’s like to work as hard as I do and never get any credit. Not once. I live in your shadow. For once, I’d like the spotlight on me.”

  “You would kill innocent children for the spotlight? Are you kidding me? Because some voice promised you fame if you did? That makes zero sense, Alex.”

  “Kill them?” Alex looked at Harlan with eyes wide open. Like a deer caught in headlights, unable to understand why they were coming at him. “I’m not going to kill them. I’m going to save them. The voice is going to let me save them.”

  Chapter 58

  Harlan sat down. It was either that or collapse. Alex was insane. Harlan had been right. The only reason he was involved in this whole mess was for fame and fortune. Pride. It always comes before man falls thousands of feet to his own self-inflicted death.

  He wanted to reach across the table and strangle Alex. Show him just how stupid he was being. How stupid he had been.

  “You’re angry, Harlan.”

  “You’re damn right I am.”

  “Watch your language, Doctor. There are children around.” Harlan shot out of his chair and began to move toward Alex, fists up, ready to strike and knock that smug look off Alex’s face once and for all.

  Just as he was ready to, as his dad would put it, punch Alex’s lights out, he stopped and took a step back. What good would it do? Sure, it would probably feel fantastic, but the patients would suffer more. And, as much as Harlan hated to admit it, he still needed Alex.

  “You’re right, Dr. James. I don’t understand what it’s like to deal with what you have. You deserve better. I should have treated you better.”

  “Are you lying to me again? Trying to get on my good side?”

  “No and yes. You do great work, and no one points it out. I never have. That’s the truth.” Alex seemed to relax a bit at this admission. “But I am trying to get on your good side. I still need your help.”

  “How? And, why would I? You’re just trying to get in on saving the kids, so you can steal my credit.”

  “Believe what you want. But I know what’s wrong. I already have the cure.”

  “You know what’s wrong? How? I don’t even know that. The voice just told me to stay close by and when the time is right, when everything was in place, I would get the cure with instructions on what to do. Did he tell you what was wrong? Has he been lying to me this whole time, too?” Shock and confusion were exploding from Alex’s face.

  “No, he didn’t. I figured it out.”

  “Then what do you need me for? You can save the day all by yourself. Like you always do.”

  “Because I can’t do it without you. The voice is here. In the building. Alone, I can’t get to the patients with him here.”

  “He’s here? How do you know? Who is he?”

  “It doesn’t make a difference. It doesn’t change what we need to do. Are you in?” Harlan looked at Alex with that horrible feeling of hope that had messed with him so much.

  “In for what? You won’t tell me anything. And you’ll still get all the credit.”

  “Will you come off of that? I don’t give a crap about the credit. You can have it all. I will make sure everyone knows it was you who saved the kids.”

  This made Alex stop and think for a second. Harlan hated how much this mattered to Alex. He hated that Alex’s life was so miserable that he needed credit for something like this to be happy. It didn’t matter though. Harlan would do whatever it took to get what was needed. And he didn’t care that that made him just like the voice.

  “I don’t believe you, Harlan. You’ll screw me like you always do. I’ll do it my way.” Alex stormed out of the room leaving Harlan wishing he had just knocked him out when he’d had the chance.

  ***

  Harlan quickly checked on the patients before heading back to his office. Nothing had changed. They were still in pain. They were still going to die soon. Even though he had the cure, how would he get it to them? So many roadblocks and not enough time.

  And he may have just created the biggest one yet. He believed that he could get Alex to see the error of his ways. Now Alex knew Harlan could cure the patients and take away his glory. Harlan got the feeling Alex would do anything to make sure that didn’t happen, even tell Barry what Harlan planned to do.

  He was about to enter his office when the loaner buzzed.

  “Are you ever going to let us up?”

  Harlan had forgotten what he had told Cole and Clara earlier. How many things had he forgotten over the past few days? How many things had he missed?

  “Sorry. Got distracted. Come up now. Be careful. It’s not safe for Cole here. I’ll explain.”

  As he entered his office, Harlan pressed send and looked up at hi
s desk. And he was glad he did. If he hadn’t, he wouldn’t have seen someone sitting in his chair.

  “Dr. Allred. We have got to stop meeting like this, mate”

  Harlan flipped on the light to get a better look, but he already knew who it was. Luke Masterson.

  Chapter 59

  “Why don’t you close the door and take a seat.” This was not a suggestion, but a command. A command that if not followed would have consequences Harlan couldn’t even fathom.

  “Good,” Luke said as Harlan sat down. “I think you know why I’m here.”

  “I don’t. Should I?”

  “Harlan. May I call you Harlan? Don’t play stupid with me. I know what you’re capable of. I know what you already know.”

  “Are you here to make sure I don’t cure these patients you’ve poisoned?” Harlan couldn’t even look at the man that just two days ago had been his idol.

  “I poisoned? I did no such thing. You will not find my fingerprints anywhere near any of this.”

  “Maybe not physically, but they are all over this no matter what.”

  “Shut up!” Harlan jumped. He braced for Luke to yell at him more, until he noticed Luke wasn’t looking at him at all. He was staring at the wall behind him.

  “I didn’t poison anyone, Mom. But if you’re not careful, I will not hesitate to poison you. How many times and how many ways do I have to kill you two?”

  Harlan had been in a constant state of confusion the past few days, but this put him over the top.

  “Quit laughing at me, you fool. You washout. You failure. You were never half the man I am.” Luke swung his fist hard and connected with a picture of Harlan’s family. This seemed to wake him up.

  “Now for why I’m here and how you will help me.” It was as if nothing had happened. As if Luke had not just been yelling at his parents when they were nowhere to be seen.

  “I still don’t know why you are here.” Harlan was afraid he would send Luke into another fit of rage. He needed to choose his words carefully. “But, you’re right, I am here to help you.”